Cauldron
Platform: Commodore 64
Gametype: Undefined
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General description 

In "Cauldron" an old witch has to get hold of a magic broom into her wizened hands, which unfortunately is guarded by the Pumpking deep in the caves of the pumpkins (pumpkins are the deadly enemies of all witches). The Pumpking can only be defeated with a magic potion, whose ingredients are also inside caves and vaults. On top of that, the places are also locked, so that the witch has to jump onto her broom to search the surrounding for the fitting keys first... 

Background story 

Unfortunately, there is no official background story. 

An (inofficial) background story says, that the witch named "Esmeralda Toadslime" has to pass a test duly for the next Walpurgis Night Esbat, to be admitted to the circle of witches after 121 years. On a paper she can read in her task written in rhymes: Brew a magic potion, destroy the Pumpking with it and seize the magic broom to free the country from the pumpkin plague, which the chief witches have caused by a failed experiment. 

Aim of the game 

The aim of the game is to collect all six ingredients, stir it together in the witch’s house to make a magic potion and with this take away the magic broom from the Pumpking. Additionally the keys to the caves of the pumpkins need to be collected first, which have been scattered randomly in the upper world at the start of the game. 

Task according to the manual 

A parchment was enclosed to the game, which outlines the task (not very precise) for the player in rhymes: 

The English parchment 	
The German parchment 	
The French parchment 

Design 

The game consists of two different areas, which differ in design and controls. 

In the "fresh air" the witch is chased flying on her broom per vertical-scrolling over the territory. You can also choose to discover the “upper world” below the treetops by foot. In both cases a great number of enemies attack the witch. 

In caves and vaults the game presents itself as Jump 'n' Run. Depending on the size of the cave, you need to jump through up to 30 screens, which contain more or less dodgy platforms. There is no scrolling but the game switches from screen to screen. 

Both game areas offer nice graphics with nice animations. Especially successful is the witch sprite, be it during flight or on the ground. Also the scrolling in the "upper world" is despite the many sprites well done. And by the trick to move the witch sprite closer to the rim with rising speed and at the same time raise the speed of the „flying“ sound the flying speed seems even faster. And all this without letting the controls become a matter of luck. 

There is only music in the title screen, but this is very atmospheric. The sound effects are very well done and add much to the atmosphere. Here one should name the already mentioned „flying“ sound, the peppy crash and the stirring of the witch’s cauldron. 

The neat idea to write in all the texts in rhymes perfects the overall picture. 

Controls 

The witch is controlled by joystick in port 2. 

During flight you can shoot forwards, diagonally upwards and downwards in direction of flight by pressing the fire button. 

In caves and vaults you can jump into the corresponding direction by holding the joystick left or right and pressing the fire button into the corresponding direction. 

Items are collected by walking over them. 

Displays 

The display at the upper rim of the screen gives you details about (from upper left to lower right): 

Magical energy left 

The already collected keys and items (but not the ingredients!) 

Number of witch lives left. 

The two parchments at the left and right could well be have been used to show the already collected ingredients. But this was not implemented. 

Enemies 

No matter if in the upper world or in a cave: a witch has to struggle with a great number of enemies. 

Enemies of the upper world 

Generally, the enemies occur in the upper world in an unlimited number, constantly respawn and most of the time head directly for the witch. Some enemies, as e.g. bats, burst at the treetops and other obstacles. But this is not always valid and does not work for all the enemies. So, you are not at all save from attacks below the treetops... 

Bats: 

Already the first enemies that attack us when leaving the witch’s house are bats. They are a real plague. Some witch has already lost her first life before even lifting up from the ground with the broom once. There are two different types (bright ones and a bit darker ones). They appear in forests, subtract 10-15 percent energy and get you 20-50 points.

Seagulls: 

Seagulls fly near the coast and over the sea, they subtract 15 percent energy and get you 75 points.

Sharks: 

Sharks swim in the open sea and and hamper grabbing keys or using energy spots close to the water surface. They subtract 50 percent energy and give 25 points.

Ghosts: 

They haunt on the cemetery and make many a landing attempt become a kamikaze mission. They subtract 15 percent energy, but at least get you 50 points.

Plants: 

There are two types of plants. One that shoots with pumpkins and one that shoots with "snappers" (the blossom). While the shots subtract 15 energy points and get you 100 points, the plants themselves cannot be shot and cost the witch a life when being touched. 

Fire balls: 

The volcanoes of the fire island spit fire balls, which only fly vertically upwards and not towards the witch, though. They subtract 15 percent and get you 75 points. 

Enemies of the underworld 

Other than the enemies of the upper world, there is a certain number of enemies per screen in the underworld, that move (if at all) on fixed paths. The enemies only respawn when the screen is entered anew or the witch has lost a life in the screen. 

We know some of the enemies already from the upper world. They have the same values. 
These are bats, ghosts and fire balls. 

But in the caves cavort some more creatures on duty for the pumpkins: 

Skull: 

The skulls roll exclusively through the dust of a vault, they subtract 25 percent energy and get you 100 points. 

Ribcage: 

Matching the skull you can find ribcages in the vault, they subtract 25 percent energy and get you 75 points. 

Bones: 

Also the rest of the bones of a skeleton can be found only in the vault, they subtract 15 percent energy and get you 75 points.

"Snapper": 

The blossom of the blue plant mutations, subtracts 15 percent energy and gets 100 points.

"Mandragora": 

The mandragora grows in the marsh of caves, is tightly fixed to the ground, subtracts 25 percent energy and gets you 250 points.

"Pumpkin": 

The right hand of the Pumpking lures us inside the green pumpkin cave to his king. When you arrive there he directly attacks you! If one faces him without the finished magic potion, he will immediately lose a life, but with the potion in your hand the small pumpkin will burst without effect and you will get 2.000 points!

"Pumpking": 

The king of the pumpkins is the final boss, maybe the easiest in the history of games. It does exactly nothing, bursts immediately when being touched and gives us next to the magic broom also unbelievable 8.000 points! 

The witch’s world 

The upper world 

The forests: 

Deep in the forest lies the small house of the witch. In the middle of a forest you can also find the entrance to the pumpkin cave (green door) and somewhere below the treetops may hide one of the keys!

The cemetery: 

Beyond the forest lies the old cemetery. There you find next to the entrance to the vault (turquoise door) also a key between the graves. 

The seas: 

Three big areas of water part the land from the fire islands. Another key can be found on the open sea. 


The fire islands 

You find the fire islands washed around by water. On both of them you find one of the two entrances to the lava caves (red doors) between their craggy volcanoes. Also a key hides on one of the islands. 

Rocky area: 

The rocky areas part the woods from the oceans. The entrance to the mandragora cave (purple door) and another key can be found here. 


The underworld 

There are three caves and one vault. The lava cave is the only one that has two entrances.

The pumpkin cave (green door): 

It offers only a few screens long a home for the Pumpking with the magic broom. As it does not contain any ingredients and any premature facing of the Pumpking leads to certain death, you should only enter this cave at the end. 

The vault (turquoise door): 

Big, bricked cave with some mean corners. In it you can find next to the ingredients BAT and RIBCAGE also the VIAL. 

The lava cave (red doors): 

A cave shaped by lava, whose left door can only be used as an exit. Deep in the cave you find next to the ingredient LAVA FIRE BALL also the TREASURE CHEST. 

The mandragora cave (purple door): 

In this humid, muggy surrounding are FROG, NEWT and MANDRAGORA comfortable. 

Items 

The modern (or better: old-fashioned) witch differs between two types of items: 

Normal items	Ingredients for the magic potion 

Keys:  There are four different keys, their colours correspond to the doors, which they open. You find them in the upper world at certain places – however, not always the same key at the same place... 

Toad:  The blood of a toad is needed. 

Vial:  Of course the witch cannot carry the magic potion in the cupped hands. 	

Mandragora:  Roots should not be missing in any soup. 

Treasure chest:  Its use? Uncertain! In any case it only gets you meagre 500 points. 	

Bat:  The wing of a bat should not be amiss. 

Magic broom: The object of desire for which all the witches will envy us. 		

Bones:  Bone meal as binding agent. 

Lava fire ball: The lava adds heat to the potion. 

Newt: And for the taste you need the eye of the newt. 

General Tips 

Nine lives sound many, but they are very limited for a witch. Therefore you always have to keep an eye on your own energy and use every energy point that you pass. But you should not go a too long way round – this costs more energy than it will get you most of the time! 

Every shot costs one percent of energy, so only make well-directed shots. 

During flight (no matter at what speed) you lose one percent energy every four seconds (approx.). 

Regarding the points there is no difference between shooting the enemy and colliding with him. 

You cannot move on shifting platforms after landing on them, you can only jump away from them! 

The witch can only collect two ingredients at a time, therefore she has to enter some of the caves more than once. 

Enter the cave of the Pumpking only if you have brewed the magic potion! 

Nasty: It can occur, that after losing a life you are respawned so unfavourably (e.g. at the opposite end of the screen), so that you have to go a long way round or in the worst case, cannot escape the cave anymore! 

Easy: If one does only want a highscore, he just has to leave the house, stand on the energy point at the right of the clearing and wait. WinVICE user wait in the warp mode...


http://www.c64-wiki.com/index.php/Cauldron
